Sodium.. Why are we avoiding it?

Helice

I'v noticed alot of people waching their sodium and i don't know why.
If you eat alot of sodium does it make you gain weight? And if so why?
Or does it just make you less healthy?
Surely salt can't make you fat...?
I need an education lesson in this!
Why are we not suppose to have alot of sodium?!?!

VampKisses

High sodium cause water retention, which gives you wrong numbers on the scale, also too much salt can be bad for you, the nation heart association wants you to limit sodium consumption to 2,000 g a day

FairyMiss

i kinda watch mine but not real close, mainly because i have highblood pressure.

joannbuist23

It can lead to high blood pressure, plus causes water retention.

milaxx

For me it causes water retentions a bloating. Also at my weight it could push me into hypertension. I don't avoid it. I will on occasion use kosher or sea salt, but other than that I prefer to season y foods with herbs and spices. I don;t like eating processed foods so worry about sodium form that.

jb_2011

I heard the heart association lowered it to 1500mg daily

joannbuist23

I heard the heart association lowered it to 1500mg daily

I also thought 1500mg per day

carlfry

Too much sodium = heart problems. That would be the main worry over bloating.

skinnyminnie

I'm no expert - but this is what I've read in articles. Sodium can be bad for you - IF you're a person that is salt-sensitive. In those cases, it can be bad for you. Tons of salt is of course not ideal, and it does bump your weight up artificially by a few lbs by causing you to retain water, but it does not make you fat.
If I were you, I'd just ask your doctor to be safe. That way, you know if you're salt sensitive or not.
For me personally, dieting is a stressful enough experience without cutting out all of the things I like, salt being one of them. Since I'm in good health and not sensitive to it, I know the scale will get bumped up by water weight from time to time, but I don't worry about it other than that.

NoAdditives

It causes water retention, high blood pressure, heart problems, etc.

nytenurse03

High sodium leads to high blood pressure, water retention, heart disease and more. When your heart has to work to hard to function systems fail and weight loss will be the least of your concerns.

terryapple

Well, for years the docs have been telling Americans to eat a low sodium diet for a healthy heart. But recently, there's a bit of a new take on sodium. The kind of sodium you use makes a difference. I don't know all the reasons, but have read that sea salt is great for you. Eating sea salt is believed to give you essential minerals. So, noticing no difference in taste, I've moved our family exclusively to sea salt. I've also read that you really don't have to worry about your sodium intake when it's coming from sea salt. Anyone else out there heard the same?

r99samigrl

Talk with your doctor about what your ideal sodium consumption should be. Depending on your cardiovascular and gastrointestinal status, you may need to be eating more or less than the recommended amount. If you have low blood pressure or malabsorbtion, higher sodium levels may be necessary. You can modify your personal settings on here to reflect whatever is optimum for you (I have my goal set at 5,000mg sodium a day per my MD recommendation for the issues mentioned above). Again, only your doctor can tell you whats really best for you!

dd_salas

We switched to sea salt too. I've noticed that I need to use less to get good flavor...anyone else same thing?

nytenurse03

I'm a nurse and salt in excess can be very damaging whether it's sea salt or table salt. Salt is salt and the effects are the same.

KayleighDawn13

I'll shorten this up a bit...my father has had many health issues because of high sodium levels. He's had high blood pressure, his kidneys aren't even close to working at 100%, and was hospitalized. He was hospitalized because of the high blood pressure. Once there, they discovered that his heart was the size of a football. The family doctor we had been seeing missed this..how he missed it I don't know but whatever. Also, because his heart was so big, it put pressure on his lungs. He then had fluid in his lungs. His kidneys basically shut down, but they are working some. He may have to under go dialysis later. He's only 45 and is now on six different medications just to keep him going. People don't think anything of it but they really do need to watch their sodium.

Newfiedan

the salt on the table is not where the problem lies, it is with the amount in the processed foods that are deadly. It takes a cleaner diet to get it under control and keep it there. I add some salt to my meals for added flavor but it is amazing how much more you can taste when you have it under control, my sense of taste is crazy now compared to before when I did not watch what I ate.

kaddydaddy

Well, for years the docs have been telling Americans to eat a low sodium diet for a healthy heart. But recently, there's a bit of a new take on sodium. The kind of sodium you use makes a difference. I don't know all the reasons, but have read that sea salt is great for you. Eating sea salt is believed to give you essential minerals. So, noticing no difference in taste, I've moved our family exclusively to sea salt. I've also read that you really don't have to worry about your sodium intake when it's coming from sea salt. Anyone else out there heard the same?

Table salt is Sodium Chloride (NaCl) with some added Iodine to keep people from getting goiters. Sea salt is 98-99% Sodium Chloride, with some other trace minerals. Basically, there isn't much difference between the two, save the iodine and taste preference.

Taylor521

Unless you have heart problems, or dont drink alot of water, its not a big deal. People over react to it.

xxx29

It would behoove each of us to research how different things affect our bodies. We all know that calories and sodium are bad, right?

Wrong. TOO MANY calories, and TOO MUCH sodium can lead to undesirable consequences, but they're both important nutrients that our bodies can't do without. TOO LITTLE sodium can cause problems, too! My mother's heart doctor put her on potato chips, because low sodium was causing arrhythmia (no lie!)

Here is a website with the "skinny" on sodium:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002415.htm

If you don't want to click on it, here's a sampling:

The body uses sodium to regulate blood pressure and blood volume. Sodium is also critical for the functioning of muscles and nerves.

Too much sodium may lead to high blood pressure in those who are sensitive to sodium. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor will probably recommend that you reduce your sodium (salt) intake.

Sodium may lead to a serious build-up of fluid in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, or kidney disease. Such people should be on a strict sodium-restricted diet, as prescribed by their doctor.

Healthy adults should limit sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day while individuals with high blood pressure should consume no more than 1,500 mg per day. Those with congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis, and kidney disease may need much lower amounts.

NikkisNewStart

I'm a nurse and salt in excess can be very damaging whether it's sea salt or table salt. Salt is salt and the effects are the same.

Thank you for this! It is amazing the misinformation that is spread here. To the original poster... please visit the American Heart Association's site and research the effects of sodium for yourself. The information is more credible than hearsay you may read from other posters but I second what this nurse is saying.

ebgbjo

What?! It has been lowered to 1500mg a day?! Just great.

Guess I need to change my goal level for it here though. I generally eat pretty well (with exception to today- so ready for TOM to be over) and will still find it a challenge to keep sodium to 1500 or below

kaddydaddy

Unless you have heart problems, or dont drink alot of water, its not a big deal. People over react to it.

Too much of anything isn't good for you, and sodium is an issue because it's easy to really over-do it when there is so much of it in process foods. If someone eats mainly process foods, or eats at a chain restaurant, they can easily consume 4000+ mg a day!

bekmom57

I read that people over 40 should only have 1500 mg of sodium. This was from a study done at the local university. If you have blood pressure problems limiting your sodium intake is a big deal.

rileysowner

Unless you have heart problems, or dont drink alot of water, its not a big deal. People over react to it.

Too much of anything isn't good for you, and sodium is an issue because it's easy to really over-do it when there is so much of it in process foods. If someone eats mainly process foods, or eats at a chain restaurant, they can easily consume 4000+ mg a day!

4000mg a day is pretty conservative if you eat a lot of restaurant food. I have seen single meals at restaurants that have 5000mg in them, and similarly in some frozen processed foods where there are 1000+mg in one serving where people would normally eat more than one. Sodium is way overused today, and while I missed it when I first cut back, I now find food tastes better without it. I actually get to taste the food and the spices I use, not just the salt.